The first day of the Irish Open has concluded with a remarkable team performance by the Spanish Armada. A leader, Nacho Elvira (-6), co-leader to be more precise alongside Thorbjorn Olesen (-6) and Romain Langasque (-6), and two other players within the top ten, Rafa Cabrera Bello (-4) and Manu Elvira (-4), in addition to two more within the top 12 of the leaderboard, Ángel Ayora (-3) and Joel Moscatel (-3).
Surely these are not vitally important statistics, as in an individual sport it matters little or not at all that a handful of players of the same nationality are at the top of a leaderboard, but on closer inspection, a boost of any kind does no harm to Spanish golf. Consider that the Armada hadn’t placed three players within the top ten after the first day of a tournament, any tournament you choose, since that fantastic event in Ras Al Khaimah, where Álex del Rey would end up winning on Sunday, back in January, many months ago. Going a bit further back, we would find that festival of the first day led by Spanish golf precisely at the Open de España, where after 18 holes Hidalgo was leading and up to eight players were crowded in the top 12 of the tournament. Since then, this has been the best start. We will see how it ends.
And while we’re at it, it’s worth noting those small steps forward that Rafa Cabrera Bello continues to make, who started with an early bogey on the 2nd hole and then didn’t make any more mistakes on the scorecard, with an immaculate and strong four-under-par on the back nine of the Irish K Club North Course. In the same vein, we can talk about Joel Moscatel, who is emerging with more determination lately, trying to straighten out a tough debut season on the DP World Tour. The presence of the younger Elvira, Manu, at the top, especially during the first two days, is becoming much more common. He just needs to finish all four rounds to make the most of his good play and, among other things, secure his presence in those final tournaments in Abu Dhabi and Dubai as a fitting end to a very solid campaign.
The first day could not be completed in its entirety due to that slight morning suspension due to bad weather, but the delay should not cause too many headaches tomorrow if play can proceed without further interruptions.
